Imagine Trying Clothes On Over The Internet
Ahhh online shopping. Don’t we all love it? The ability to just sit in the comfort of your own home, or maybe even sneak a few minutes away from work to look for that new sweater that you’ve been desperately waiting to wear once the weather cools off a bit? This. This is the epitome of lazy consumerism.
No longer are we forced to get up out of our pajamas just to go grab those sunglasses that we need for next week’s lake trip with the boys and girls. It can now all be done with the touch of a button. But, the one thing that all online shoppers stress over is this one daunting question..."will this look good on me?!" There’s nothing more annoying than ordering that brand new sweater expecting to look like Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid Love then it coming and realizing you actually look like Tom Hanks from Cast Away. Say no more! Once again, Facebook saves the day. In this blog, Hollywood Branded explores how Facebook uses augmented reality in new advertisements to help users try items on before purchasing.
Augmented Reality
Facebook wants to give users the opportunity to try on products without ever having to step foot in a store, or even touch the product. Even better, they want users to be able to do this all from the comfort of their own mobile screen.
You may be wondering how? How is it possible to try something on without actually touching the product?
Well, the answer is simple... augmented reality advertisements. Augmented reality is a way of viewing the real world in which your view of the real world is supplemented by computer-generated inputs, such as still images, audio, or video. Augmented reality is not to be confused with virtual reality. Instead of creating a world that is different from reality like virtual reality, augmented reality just adds things to the world that we already live in. One of the early examples of augmented reality introduced to the masses was Pokémon Go.
How Does It Work?
Facebook will continue to roll out these branded augmented reality advertisements in their news feed. Certain ads will display a “tap to try on” option which will activate Facebook’s camera. From there, users will be able to slide left and right to try on different items.
To start, Facebook has only allowed a few brands to test out this new advertising method, one of which being Michael Kors. Michael Kors has launched an advertising campaign that allows users to try on its different sunglasses before purchasing. Users can try on different lenses and colors and even move their head around to see the glasses from different angles.
At the bottom of the screen, users are presented with a “Shop Now” button that allows them to purchase the product and have them delivered to the address of their choice.
Lastly, of course Facebook had to include a social aspect to these new advertisements. Shoppers will have the ability to share their shopping experience with friends, and even create interactive polls to engage their friends in.
So What Does This Mean?
Augmented reality advertisements will change the advertising game forever. These ads provide users with a streamlined process to engage with brands in just one click. As an example, makeup shoppers are able to try on that new lipstick without having to actually purchase the product. It’s only a matter of time before people never buy things that don’t look good on them. Actually, we can’t guarantee that. Augmented reality doesn’t give good style ;).
Anyways, this hassle-free ability to try things on not only helps the consumers, but also the brands. Because users can so easily try things on, they’re a lot more likely to purchase the product which ultimately increases a brand’s bottom line. And, what does a brand marketer love more than delivering more sales? Nothing!
How Can You Get Involved?
Facebook is only rolling out this feature for a select amount of brands in its early days. As the feature matures, it will be rolled out for all brands engaging in Facebook advertising. But, until then, there are a variety of different ways that your brand can excite its customers into wanting to purchase from you.
In fact, one of the best ways to do this is through pop culture. Pop culture marketing integrates your product, message or service into the content that your users are already enjoying. It’s able to turn your brand into something cool and highly desired. Who doesn’t want to purchase the product that their favorite celebrity is using? Here at Hollywood Branded, that’s what we do. We turn your brand into one of Hollywood’s hottest products.
Our team often writes about celebrity endorsement partnerships with brands, from what other marketers are doing, to marketing best practices for celebrity endorsement deals. Check out some of the blogs our team has written on the topic:
- Celebrity Ads Paired With Unexpected Brand Categories
- Athletes As Brand Celebrity Endorsers High Reward And Low Risk
- 8 Steps to Leverage Celebrity Talent To A Brand's Advantage
- Cause Related Marketing Campaigns Getting The Celebrity Treatment
- 12 Steps To Celebrity Event Sponsorships
- 8 Steps To Inviting A Celebrity To Your Event And Saving Some Money In The Process
And of course... there is influencer marketing too!
Check out these 5 blog posts our team has written.
- How To #7: 5 Steps To Tell If An Influencer Has Fake Instagram Followers
- 9 Tips To Organically Market Your Brand on Instagram
- 7 Secret Social Acronyms Brands Need To Know For Influencer Posts
- How To #13: 10 Ways To Create More Successful Instagram Posts
- A Brand's Guide To Kourtney Kardashian Instagram Posts
We have created a very comprehensive course on all things celebrity and influencer partnership - providing you and your team an opportunity to learn from our 20+ years of knowledge. Take a look at the class options by clicking the image below.
